The night, like a piece of velvet soaked in ink, pressed tightly against the glass curtain wall of the Shengtian Group headquarters building. In the top-floor president's office, the crystal chandelier was turned up to its brightest setting, making Gu Yanting's eyes sting. On the rosewood desk in front of him lay a printed copy of the "Shengtian Group Overseas Asset Allocation Report," the densely packed numbers now appearing like a swarm of wriggling ants, making his heart race with unease.
"Knock knock knock—"
The knock was as soft as a falling leaf, yet it made Gu Yanting tremble violently, nearly dropping the Cuban cigar in his hand onto the expensive Persian carpet.
"Go in!" he growled, his voice barely audible and hoarse.
Special Assistant Chen Feng pushed open the door and entered, still impeccably dressed in a suit and tie, but the fine beads of sweat on his forehead betrayed his nervousness. He held an encrypted folder in his hand and walked hesitantly to the desk.
“President Gu,” Chen Feng said in a low voice, “the legal department… the banks are holding back the applications for equity changes of several offshore companies in Southeast Asia.”
Gu Yanting suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot like a beast's: "Stuck? Didn't I tell you the day before yesterday to take care of all the connections? Swiss banks, Cayman Islands accounts—weren't those all the paths I've paved over the past ten years? And now you're telling me it's stuck?"
He grabbed the crystal paperweight from the table and slammed it onto the report, sending papers flying and numbers scattering like snowflakes. Chen Feng instinctively took a half-step back, his Adam's apple bobbing: "President Gu, the bank said... said they received a notice of assistance from an international anti-money laundering organization, and all large-scale fund flows involving Shengtian Group need to undergo an additional 72-hour audit. And... and the police sent people to the finance department this afternoon, saying they want to retrieve the audit working papers from the past three years."
"Audit working papers?" Gu Yanting laughed sharply, as if he had heard a joke. "Lin Wanqing's surrender is just the beginning! What do they want to investigate? How did I get that piece of land in the east of the city back then? Or the deals behind the artists that Shengtian Entertainment made famous over the years?"
He abruptly stood up, his tall figure pacing back and forth on the carpet, his leather shoes clattering heavily on the floor, mirroring the pounding of his heart. The city lights outside the window blazed brilliantly; what he once saw as his subservient territory now felt like countless prying eyes, making him utterly uneasy.
Three days ago, when the news of Lin Wanqing's surrender popped up on Chen Feng's phone, Gu Yanting was playing golf at a private club. He just smiled contemptuously, thinking it was just another trick Lin Wanqing was using to get his attention. It wasn't until the next day, when the captain of the city's Economic Crime Investigation Division personally arrived at Shengtian Group with a search warrant, that he truly felt a chill that went straight to his bones.
"Mr. Gu, Attorney Wang from the Legal Department said that the police investigation this time is very broad, involving not only commercial fraud, but also... mentioning the fire eight years ago." Chen Feng's voice grew lower and lower, almost a whisper.
"A fire?" Gu Yanting's steps faltered, his back instantly stiffening. The fire eight years ago that engulfed the Lin family's old factory was the most hidden thorn in his heart. Back then, he had used some "means" to acquire the land after the Lin family's bankruptcy, claiming it was an accident to the outside world. Could it be...?
He dared not think any further, and abruptly grabbed the phone on the table, his knuckles turning white from the force. He dialed a number he knew by heart, and the phone rang for a long time before being answered. A lazy male voice came from the other end: "Mr. Gu, still thinking of me so late?"
"Enough with the nonsense!" Gu Yanting gritted his teeth. "Have you taken care of everything I asked you to handle? The ledgers in the east warehouse, and the backup data on the server!"
"Mr. Gu," the voice on the other end paused, a hint of amusement in it, "didn't you say those things were protective charms? What, are you finding them too hot to handle now?"
"I'm giving you the order to handle this!" Gu Yanting practically roared. "Immediately! Right now! By any means necessary, I want to hear that all of those things have been reduced to ashes within an hour!"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a soft chuckle: "Alright, Mr. Gu's orders are my command. But let me make this clear: with all the commotion going on, it won't be easy for my men to get into that warehouse. As for the price..."
“Money is no problem!” Gu Yanting interrupted him. “As long as things are handled cleanly, your account will have a sum of money that you’re happy with tomorrow.”
After hanging up the phone, Gu Yanting breathed heavily, as if he had just finished a marathon. He walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the dazzling city below, and for the first time felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness. The money and power that had once been invincible now seemed to be slipping through his fingers, little by little.
“President Gu,” Chen Feng said cautiously, “there’s something else… Director Li from the finance department just called to say that something has suddenly come up at home and he wants to take a long leave.”
Gu Yanting turned around abruptly, his eyes sharp as knives: "Director Li? He's in charge of the specific operations of the overseas accounts, why is he taking a long leave at this time?" A thought flashed through his mind instantly—a mole.
"Investigate!" Gu Yanting roared. "Find out who he's been in contact with recently, and what phone calls he's made! Also, notify the IT department to immediately disconnect all unauthorized connections between the company's internal network and the external network, and take back physical access to the core servers for my personal management!"
Chen Feng nodded hurriedly and turned to leave, but Gu Yanting called out to him, "Wait."
Gu Yanting walked to the liquor cabinet, poured himself a glass of whiskey, and gently swirled the amber liquid in the crystal glass. He drank it down in one gulp; the spicy liquor burned his throat, but it did nothing to calm the restlessness in his heart.
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